


One Moonlit Night

by kathrikat



Category: Kakos Industries (Podcast), Skulduggery Pleasant - Derek Landy
Genre: F/F, Kissing, Making Out, Stealing, dimension hopping, love spells
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-21
Updated: 2017-10-21
Packaged: 2019-01-18 00:17:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,276
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12377052
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kathrikat/pseuds/kathrikat
Summary: Melantha takes it into her own hands to save the company. Though, dimension hopping is a hell of a lot more confusing than she expected.





	One Moonlit Night

**Author's Note:**

> a new self-indulgant story. how could I not ship the two "most beautiful" women to ever exist? also im only on the fourth skulduggery pleasant book pls be kind to me about their character interpretations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Melantha plots revenge against Corin. Subtle yet complicated.

    "Melantha, of course you can't run a company. You have nothing interesting enough for people to _want._ Maybe intercept my announcements when you're actually interesting to people. Have a good one. Not!"

    Melantha's interception was intercepted. She was speechless. Her face heated with an aggressive embarrassment and her body leaned over her mic in her bathrobe, the fabric falling open against her skin. That _velvet_ skin. Some strands of her long hair tucked behind her ears while others fell carelessly around her face. The soft light of her desk lamp illuminated her glow and eyes. Anyone in their right mind would be drooling to the point of drowning if they were there. She was the most beautiful woman to exist in this universe. And she was going to find a way to get revenge on Corin. Subtle yet complicated. There was only one person that came to mind to help.

    Hailey Solomonari. In all honesty, it had felt good to fuck someone Corin had been with. It was like pass the bottle with people. Hailey was a smart whore, but there hadn't been much use for her that Melantha had seen other than a good fuck. A play thing. A _wonderful_ play thing that didn't know when to stop, and sometimes devoured her but _god_ how it felt so _good,_ and so _wrong._ There hadn't been a time Melantha hadn't been with Hailey that she didn't enjoy. _That young skin, too._ Yet, too young all the same. It was her mother that she wanted. Iele Solomonari. Doing a little digging, Melantha found that she worked under Dr. Dunklewissen. (Melantha liked to call him Dr. Drunklewissen because there was never a day he was sober.) The scientist was Kakos' greatest and worst employee. Causing schemes on other co-workers, using Corin as a test subject. She could only imagine how fun that could be.

    Though, in his hands he had the power to hop dimensions. How _delightful_ . How _interesting._

    In the amount of time she had known Dr. Dunklewissen had owned such a device, Melantha had spent it reading on any and all books that talked about the separate universes that existed parallel to hers. The Manager and Technician at Kakos Industries had been logging any and all universes known to exist, though left it unknown to the public. Probably for good reason, probably for personal gain. Melantha had gotten her pretty little hands on this data and had been disgusted upon reading up on them all night, but then she had found herself an especially _interesting_ universe. One with _amazing_ things. The Scepter of the Ancients, the Book of Names, Echo Stones. Melantha wanted it _all._ It was the only way to get back at Corin. The only problem? Only one name housed most of those items. _China Sorrows._ There was really only one option in getting any of them. Steal.

    She decided tonight was going to be that night.

     When the device was in her hands, it was much, much, smaller than she imagined. It was square in shape with a digital pad on the back to input where you wanted to go. When you did, you simply arrived at where you wanted to be. It was that simple.

    "You sure you'll be able to tidy things up while I'm gone?" asked Melantha. Hailey stared down at her phone.

    "Yeah, sure, whatever."

     Melantha would just have to clean up the mess when she got back, she supposed. Hailey didn't bother to look up from her phone even after Melantha had disappeared from sight.

    Underneath the Irish moonlight, Melantha found herself in a world unknown. The ground was wet, and the air smelled strange. Metallic like blood, mixed with rain water. The chilly air ran down her spine. She never thought she'd believe in magic. She didn't, in all honesty. She didn't think the Manager and the Technician knew their ass from their elbows when they talked about it in that little flash drive she could feel in the left cup of her bra. It just wasn't something she could grasp. Though she didn't comment on the disappearing and reappearing buildings she walked by. She supposed it was just her mind giving her a bit of the spooks. She didn't find what she was looking for that night, but she did get a start. Getting her way into that world of magic was just the beginning and she couldn't stop once she started. There was too much to get into. There was an entire underground world beneath everyone's feet, and she was stepping her high heels all over it. It made her feel wanted. Though it took her a while to find what she was looking for, it was worth it.

    There was spread of her arrival after that initial very short visit, but most thought it to be a rumor. Especially China herself. Which was surprising, considering who she was. Skulduggery was also especially skeptical, but Valkyrie appeared to sleep with one eye open. So, it was a typical run of the mill. It really hadn't taken that long (much to Melantha's surprise) to find China's whereabouts. A couple more visits in shorter to longer intervals and it was easy. Eavesdropping was her best friend. She stood just outside of the building's perimeter. The ground was wet again. She eyed the upper floor. Bingo. There was no type of typical security to her knowledge, and climbing so far was becoming easier.

    Of all the types of crime there were, larceny had to be her favorite.

    Don’t get Melantha wrong, getting off with any amount of boisterous men at tea parties and digging into Corin’s angry arousal were also quite fun things to do to pass the time, but stealing from others meant something much, much, more to her plastic encased metallic-like heart. It reminded her of her youth; a place where she stole the occasional candy bar from the supermarket, or where she stole jewelry from her so called “friends”. A small tug at the lips while she reminisced. Her past self never dreamed she’d turn stealing into a profession. Murder maybe, but not stealing.

    Fake skin. Made skin. To the touch it was like silk, and it glowered in the irish moonlight. She could feel that should-be-still heart of hers beating under her (rather large) chest. She was certain it didn't beat in the proper rhythm anymore, but at least she was alive (something she knew many couldn’t say about themselves). At least she was beautiful (just the same).

    Taking a deep breath, she pressed herself steady against the building.

    Fairly high up. Though the fall would not be enough to kill her, it would most definitely wreck her figure, and that was something she’d never want to compromise. She shuddered. A broken leg ran behind her eyes. She swallowed. She imagined a cracked skull even if the injuries were what made doing larceny more... thrilling. Her lips pursed while she struggled to grip the window sill. She felt like she might slip. Of course, it had to have rained yesterday. She felt like it _always_ rained yesterday. The slickness coated the building in a slippery slime and the fact that she was a bit rusty in the whole “climbing” the side of a building thing didn't help her fear. Such a hard task. For what? For pettiness.

     She’d been stuck running a failing company for quite sometime and failing to succeed. She could hear that fickle laugh of Corin’s already. She pushed up onto the window, slipping her right leg up and under the glass. It looked fragile, quite like herself. She wasn't built to last. She was all looks. Like a mannequin, she thought.

    The library was in a stand still. Eerie, quiet, but eyes were watching. No cameras, to her knowledge. Of course, stealing from another world, for all she knew, there was no such thing as high security camera systems. She knew there was what they called magic, as she’d travelled to this world more often than not, though she highly disbelieved that it was real, and was more of a cult thing. She also knew there was this extremely beautiful (someone else's words, not hers) woman who ran this library. A sexy librarian fantasy flashed through her mind before both of her legs hit the carpeted floor with a muffled thud. Her gloved hands shut the window behind her.

    She did not know this woman, nor did she particularly care to know this woman...is what she said in her mind to keep herself from looking and getting into trouble. With all the beauty that supposedly surrounds this librarian, she’d like to know, at the very least, a description of her. No one could ever be as beautiful as herself though. No one could have curves like hers, or a cybernetic eye like hers. No one could attract the lust filled broken hearts as she could, nor could anyone use, abuse, or kill them as such. So what made this woman she had never even met before so intriguing?

    Melantha appeared to have climbed into an office. Perfect, considering there was probably a safe somewhere with more fascinating valuables than she could ever imagine. Before looking for that, Melantha thought it best to check out the books on the shelves. Most of them were written in languages she had never seen before, and felt as though they had something coursing through them (she refused to call it magic). She couldn’t help but gasp in excitement as the leather(?) bound pieces of art slipped easily into her bag. She wasn’t entirely sure whether they were leather, but being bound in something else made it all the more thrilling.

    Surely, this would prove her company more amazing and capable of getting things done, right? Travelling to other dimensions just to create better Evil? I mean, that took dedication, and she doubted anyone other than Lady Kiarawa had done this. Still, the woman knew at the end of the day she would never reveal that she did this. It was her own secret to keep. Something that would keep building and building up inside her until that glorious day came where she could use it against Corin. Besides, she thought, Lady Kiarawa only did things for herself.

    What she didn’t realize is that she was doing the exact same thing as Lady Kiarawa, and was therefore, a hypocrite. Though, what made her different from Lady Kiarawa was that she doesn’t realize this, or, if she did, pretended not to. Her childish ways proved to be a bit of a strategic tactic if you looked at it a certain way, didn’t it? Or maybe she really was just vain and daft, wanting attention and getting it, but never really getting enough of it.

    Wanting more of the foreign objects, thinking only of the money and herself, although, not realizing it, she began to look for the safe. Her cybernetic eye glimmered to life, scanning the room for any out of place objects that she couldn’t see normally. Nothing that she could catch at first glance, although, the bookshelf behind the desk had one of those switches in the books. You know, the cliche thing you see in most mystery movies or TV shows? Yeah, that.

    “Bingo,” she whispered, maneuvering her curvaceous figure to where it was needed. An Evil grin plastered her face when an audible ‘click’ and shuffling of the book shelf moved outwards. The regular sized safe is..... normal looking to her surprise. On the bottom of the hidden shelf was where it sat. It was bland, beige and old fashioned looking other than the digital padlock. She crouched down and put her Evil eye to some more "good" use. The spinning of the dial created a soft echo in the room.

    “Click,” she said, as the safe clicked and swung open. Melantha always spoke like that. ‘Wink’ was a pretty common one she said. Sometimes, even when she ate she'd make ‘crunch’ or ‘chew’ sound effects, though those were less common than others. She tended to make sound effects without realizing, and they ended up being quite dramatic and weird in real life situations.

    The silence of the room was replaced with her grabbing what appeared to be a rainbow-esque shimmering orb (you know, like the Dragon Tales egg?), and she laughed a haughty laugh. She was about to stand up, to take a bounding leap of Evil-like glee across the office and out the window like the secret scoundrel she was. That is, not before the overhead lights came on.

* * *

 

    China Sorrows is not a stupid person. Mysterious? Yes. Untrustworthy? Yes. Beautiful? Yes. She is many, many things. Things that a certain skeleton detective could go into great detail about, though maybe not _great_ detail. Perhaps she is many of these not-great things, but not stupid, or daft, or a fool. Quite the opposite, in fact. The evidence here being that for the most part, stupid people don’t make it that far. In fact, stupid people are (generally, unless they’re smart stupid people, in which case, are they really stupid?) the first ones to get themselves killed.

    She wondered how Skulduggery was still around (Though technically he was already dead).

    China also wondered what great (although maybe not _great_ ) lengths she’d have to go through to keep him off her back every time she had something he wanted. He’d done lots of things in the past, most of them unsuccessful (like trying to use a bomb), a lot of them equally successful (using an intricate people proxy system). There was generally always a 50/50 chance of both success and unsuccess. Most of his doing was inconvenient probability she didn’t bother calculating. Knowing the detective, she knew it’d be easier to just toss a coin in the air.

    What a pest.

    Valkyrie Cain, his partner, never really got onto China’s case unless she had to or wanted to. Though, the child’s tactics were generally fruitless attempts anyway. Valkyrie’s percentage of success were about 20/80 when it came to getting things from China (compared to others who got what they wanted for the right price). She, like Skulduggery didn’t want the world to end either and typically joined the detective in his little escapades that were probably going to get the teen killed sooner rather than later. Not that she cared, but she’d seen Skulduggery drag along enough people to know that they’re going to get hurt (Gordon was a fine example).

    But you see, China really was neutral in all of this. Bad guys, good guys, didn’t matter. Business was business and all in all these were the people China knew. She liked to divide them into categories (though she was still neutral). There were people China hated, and people she didn’t hate. No, not people that she liked, people that she didn’t hate. There's a difference. A _huge_ difference. If you knew anything about China Sorrows. There’s. A. Difference. For example, China _likes_ ancient artifacts and any valuable information she can get her pretty little hands on. China doesn’t hate her brother, or Skulduggery, or Valkyrie. That doesn’t mean she wouldn’t put a knife in any of their backs if she had to, but it’s not like she takes part in hating them on a regular basis either.

    Skulduggery’s voice crept back into her head from this morning.

          _“I need the egg.”_

_“I don’t think I can give it to you just like that. And, it’s a talisman, not some egg. This isn’t brunch you know.”_

_Skulduggery stayed leaned against the bookshelf. “You should know it’s all the same to me. Talisman, egg, doesn’t matter so long as the world doesn’t end.”_

_“Still,” she said, “it’s gonna cost you if you want it.”_

_“Always for a price, I know. I just thought the total destruction of the world would suffice. Just maybe, perhaps, this once.”_

_China placed a book on the shelf. Her fingernails were painted red and chipped in some places. She tsked. “Forgetful as always, detective. Forgetful as always.”_

_Skulduggery held his right hand out in front of him and admired it. Seeing her nails made him wish he still had them, it was such a pretty color, though now was definitely not the time to mention it._

_“You’d be killing everyone around you, you know.”_

_More paint chipped off her nails. Skulduggery watched it absentmindedly. “Business comes first.”_

_The skeleton gestured around him, “There won’t be any business_ **_to_ ** _save if I can’t use it. I know you’re stubborn but...”_

_China shrugged, indifferent to his comment. “I guess you’ll just have to take it by force then.” She smiled. “That is, if you can.”_

_If Skulduggery had had eyes, he would’ve rolled them. “You’ll just have to wait and see then.”_

_China nodded, “I look forward to it.”_

    So, she thought, the bastard was probably going to strike when she least expected it. That was his thing. That, and also swooping in at last minute to save the day, but she doubted anyone was in distress at this very moment (you know, other than the entirety of the world). This also meant that the robbery would happen in the same day he threatened it. Tonight, as she contemplated Skulduggery’s every move, he was going to sneak into her office and steal her precious egg. Erm, talisman. Though she was not thinking about this very clearly as she sat in her kitchen with a nice book in hand.

    I’m going to say this once again, slightly for dramatic effect, the other for the word count. China is not a daft person. She is not dumb or stupid. She is such the opposite in fact, that when she had been sitting (with a nice book in hand) in her kitchen she’d heard that muffled sound of feet hitting carpet. Which means, if she hadn’t the ears of a bat, nor such intelligence, she most likely wouldn’t have heard it. She shifted, hearing it, but not quite registering it. Ignoring it. Again, China is not a stupid person, but the focus and concentration she needed to read this ancient text, far exceeded the need to pay attention to outside noises such as, I don’t know, someone breaking into her home office.

 _Creeeak_ …

   There it was again. China heard it. A tick in her nightly routine.

    Something that most probably don’t know is the fact that China has no “real” security system. This means that cameras and alarms aren’t really her thing. Instead, there is magic and symbols that encase the library and her home. If anything of magical or even on good days _malicious_ intent decides to cross over that barrier she will feel it. She will _know_.

    And that is exactly what she felt as she read in the comfort of her kitchen.

    She groaned. There were only a few people that could sneak past her magic barrier unnoticed for a specific amount of time, and even fewer were the ones that knew how to deactivate it. She listened again, making sure that it hadn’t only been her imagination, despite her gut feeling. She could hear her bookshelf moving, and an all too familiar click. She could only think of one person who not only wanted the precious egg she had, but also liked to pick locks the “old fashioned way”. Someone who told her they were going to break into her home that very same day.

    She opened the door of her home office and flipped on the overhead.

* * *

 

    Melantha froze where she was crouched behind the desk. Okay, she thought, things go wrong sometimes. Although things never go wrong this quickly. Her cybernetic eye twitched in anticipation. Her skin glowered at a dimmer but quicker pace. The stolen goods in her bag felt oddly heavy. It’s not that this was the first time she’d been caught stealing or anything, but she didn’t want to get in trouble with any police (or anybody for that matter) of this other dimension. Who knows how long she'd be stuck here then. Melantha tasted something different in the air, but she didn’t know if it was her or this other world. Maybe it was whoever turned the lights on. Maybe it was a bit of all three.

And then, a voice.

    “You can come on out, Skulduggery. Your attempt has been foiled.”

    Skulduggery, she thought, that is definitely not me. Melantha stayed down for a moment longer before she stood up, hands thrown up in mock defense fashion. Unbeknownst to the either of them Skulduggery Pleasant was actually several miles away, drinking apple juice and reading his favorite book underneath the moonlight. Yes, he was worrying about the world’s final grimsly destruction, yet he also enjoyed the simple things in life. Sipping, and thinking, and waiting. And maybe, just maybe, if he really felt like it, he’d go and steal that little egg from China if he wanted. If he wanted.

    The look on this other woman’s face told Melantha that she was a bit more than surprised, though, her face didn’t actually budge an inch. Melantha just knew. She could see the other's tick. To not do anything at all. This other person was obviously in freeze mode. Was she scared? Was Melantha something that scared her or was someone taking away something precious from her something that scared her? She felt a slight tingling that started in the front of her head and moved down her spine. Arousal. It settled there. Melantha squirmed a bit. It got worse when she watched as China sent her one of those “Hello there”, smiles. You could always get ‘em with the lust.

    “Well, well, well, what a sight for sore eyes," Melantha spoke, China didn't realize that making her aroused and in "love" just made her a better seducer. Melantha moved closer, but not enough to be intimidating. Or was she passed intimidating already? "I’d love to take you back home. Maybe play around with the boys.” Melantha winked, pulling the other strap of her backpack on. China frowned.

    “Who are you?” China stared at her. Her striking eyes checked her over once or twice. Melantha flaunted herself a bit more. She stepped even closer, leaning herself against China’s desk. Her skin looked lovely under the flourescent lights. China wondered what just a little feel of it would be like. Just a little taste. It appeared that both "spells" were working.

    Melantha smiled and pulled a strand her hair back behind her ear. It takes everything out of China to think about the talisman. It's so far away to her. Melantha is so overpowering. It's surprising even to Melantha, who is falling hard and fast for China's spell, too. China feels a slight tingling that starts in the front of her head and moves down her spine. It hits her hard. Arousal. She’s revolted at how quickly whatever this is was working on her.

    “The name’s Murther,” Melantha said it with pride. Her right hand absently clicked against the desk. China thought it was a lovely sound.

    “Never heard of you. I-”

    “I assume that’s a very good thing for me, and a very bad thing for you,” Melantha interrupted.

    China appeared to be one of those people that knew you, Melantha had judged. A person who could read between the things you said and knew what every single thing you said _really_ meant. And the fact that she could tell China didn’t know a thing? Well, that made that tingling hit a little bit harder.

    “You know you’re not gonna get away. I mean you tried stealing from _me_.”

    Melantha frowned. “And just who’re you?” She feigned innocence. It was always easier to do that when committing larceny.

    China fumbled for words. Everything was hazy, and “Murther” looked so… _delicious_. So beautiful. Who was she to say she shouldn’t get away?

    “Who am I? Please, you wouldn't be here unless you knew who I was.”

    “Well, I’ve… heard things.Though, I’m not from around here. I'm doing a little of dimension hopping for the family back home.” Melantha got closer. “Maybe, you’d like a touch?”

China couldn’t take her eyes off of Melantha’s hands. So distinguished. Flawless. Not a scratch on her body. Like a mannequin, she thought. But so _fucking wonderful oh my god._ She couldn't stop glancing at Melantha's lips. She thought they were something she could devour. Yes, if only she got a bit closer.

 

    "Dimension hopping doesn't exist. You're so full of-"

 

    Melantha couldn't stop looking at China. That long black hair. Those icy blue eyes. She couldn't stop staring at China's red, thin lips. She thought they were something she could devour. Both of their eyes met, and Melantha stepped forward, pulling China's face to hers. They were both locked in one of the best kisses either of them had ever had in their lives. Tongues met, and the both of them, not knowing a damn thing they were doing, couldn't stop. The spells both of them made was fucking worth it. It was _so_ fucking worth it.

 

    And then it was done. China and Melantha found themselves off of the other. China's lustful eyes caught Melantha near the window. She wasn't sure how it'd happened. Everything was still hazy. In Melantha's hand was China's black leather wallet. China couldn't help but check her back pocket.

    "Thanks for the cab ride, doll," Melantha winked, her heart rate much faster than before.

 

    China could do nothing but watch her slip out into the moonlit night.

 


End file.
